Jerusalem – Hundreds of Haredim clashed with police Saturday over the opening of Jerusalem’s Karta parking lot on weekends, in what has recently become a weekly routine.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The protestors arrived at a central junction in the city and were prevented by police from marching towards the controversial lot.
The marchers clashed with police, and a few protesters sat on the road to block it, but were evacuated by police. No injuries were reported and no arrests were made.
Among the ultra-Orthodox demonstrators were also children who ran into the street, disrupting traffic on the main road. No injuries have been reported thus far.
Earlier, haredim threw stones at passing vehicles on Jerusalem’s main streets. No injuries were reported but four vehicles were damaged.
Police have launched a search for the culprits.
The protest against the opening of the Karta lot on Shabbat has broken out every Saturday evening in the weeks since Jerusalem’s municipality announced its intention to keep the lot open, in order to ease weekend parking troubles in the city.
At some point, the police need to become more agressive against these rioters. They are a small number of distubed individuals who make all hareidim look bad. If it takes tear gas or rubber bullets to stop the stone throwing and other violent acts, than it would be appropriate since it might avoid even greater violence.
The number of demonstrators gets smaller each week along with a much lower level of violence. Its becoming clear that most recognize that Mayor Barkat will not back down and the parking lot will remain open on shabbos. Hopefully, they can reconcile themselves to the reality that shabbos observance is VOLUNTARY and not somthing the government can or should impose in a democratic society. Those who wish to be shomer shabbos can do so peacefully without having to become involved in these demonstration.
yidisha kinder dont give up you will win the fight the same you win by the mother. we must help the shabbs kodes
Don’t these people have better things to do on shabbas? a walk, a nap, learn, daven, talk to your kids since you do not have time all week, etc. There are other things to do!!
yidisha kinder dont give up you will win the fight the same you win by the mother. we must help the shabbs kodes
# 1 I wonder if you alone keep shabos, or if you ever lerand hilchas shabos?
A shame these protestors dont realize that pple like them are a big part of the reason why others dont keep shabbos and mitzvos. They give torah a really bad rap.
first of all i was by the protests most weeks and it didnt get smaller. 2) do any of you pple who write pro the parking lot even know why they are protesting so till you have an educated and non secular opinion then you can talk
This is so tiresome…give it up already! It’s so boring & now it’s just stupid. Can’t these half-brains come up with something new? I think the cops should ignore them, why waste their valuable resources on a bunch of losers with nothing better to do on a Shabbos afternoon?
Kol Hakovod to the Eida. Keep it up! I wish I could be there protesting
The police officers are excited to provoke and are ytterly ruthless – its scarey.
I have good way to stop the protests just film it all and then we know who the rebel rowers are and we will see which side it acting extreme. This will also stop some of the people coming to the riots since they will be on video tape on shabbos
This entire situation is a disgrace. No one is forcing the orthodox Jews in the area to drive their cars on Shabbat to that parking lot/deck that is open. And please dont write and tell me that orthodox Jews dont drive on Shabbat because i know that to begin with. However, what i didnt know was that it was ok for orthodox Jews to throw rocks and start fights on Shabbat. That is a new rule for me to learn and having now learned it from all of the articles and pictures over these last weeks, it certainly changes what was once a positive feeling for those perpetrators to an intensely negative one.
My error. I did not know that apparently according to another news source the Eida Charedit has actually called for these protests. I can only say that I do not think this is the way to do it. You cannot force people to be observant. Currently there are other people besides religiously observant Jews living in and visiting Jerusalem. At this point in our history, trying to make the whole city shomer Shabbath is not appropriate.
Why are they continuing the same nonsense even after seeing that it turned into a chilul Hashem?
They are making life difficult for other charedim who disagree with them. The public will “throw” them all in one bag and say, “Charedim are violent rioters.”
Yich!
Who throw stones at cars? read the news report again:
“Earlier, haredim threw stones at passing vehicles on Jerusalem’s main streets. No injuries were reported but four vehicles were damaged.:…
This was way before the demonstration, and figure yourself who is throwing stones at cars on shabbat? not an observant Jew, a few disturbed individuals and shabavnikim (that Jerusalem has no shortage of).
At the demonstrations no violence is being done, and surely not throwing rocks at vehicles.
If the Haredi rabbis (who think on behalf of the sheeple that follow them) would have the menschlikheit to say that throwing rocks is assur, then it would stop.
Throwing rocks has been going on for years? And this is a civilized nation? I think not.